Northwestern University Athletics
Big Ten Network Announces Branding Committee Members
10/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | General
Oct. 25, 2006
PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- The Big Ten Network announced Wednesday the four individuals who will comprise its inaugural Branding Committee, a group which will provide oversight to preserve the integrity of the Big Ten Conference brand in all content provided through the Network.
The members of the Big Ten Network Branding Committee include Michigan State University President Lou Anna K. Simon, Northwestern University President Henry S. Bienen, Fox Networks Group President and Chief Executive Officer Tony Vinciquerra, and Fox College Sports Executive Vice President and General Manager David Rone.
The Branding Committee will serve as consultants to the Big Ten Network in developing and strengthening the network's brand and ensuring that the core values of the Big Ten Conference are reflected through all programming and advertising. The Big Ten Network will launch in August 2007 and will operate 24-hours a day, 365-days a year. The Big Ten Network is majority-owned by the Big Ten Conference, while Fox holds a minority interest in the network.
Simon has been affiliated with Michigan State for more than three decades. She currently serves as a board member for the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. Simon was named provost and vice president for academic affairs in 1993. She became the first female president in Michigan State history in January 2005. Simon has also been a key participant in the expanding conversations regarding international educational initiatives and global competition, including the National Summit on Competitiveness in January 2006.
Bienen has served as president of Northwestern since 1995 and is one of three university presidents awarded the Carnegie Corporation Academic Leadership Award for innovative leadership in higher education. He is a member of the board of directors of The Bear Stearns Companies Inc. and Deltak, Inc. and is also a member of the board of directors of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves as chair of their nominating and governance committee. Prior to joining Northwestern, Bienen was appointed as the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and served as dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.
Vinciquerra was named to his current position of president and chief executive officer of Fox Networks Group in June 2002 after starting with the company as president of the Fox Television Network in 2001. Vinciquerra manages all 30 of Fox Network Group's programming services including the business operations of Fox Television Network. He oversees the business activities at FOX Sports and manages leading technological support entity Fox Networks Engineering & Operations. Prior to joining Fox in 2001, Vinciquerra served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Hearst-Argyle Television, a position he had held since 1999.
Rone, in addition to being the executive vice president and general manager for Fox College Sports, is the executive vice president for rights acquisitions of Fox Sports Networks. Rone is responsible for the day to day operations and management of the three Fox College Sports networks, and he is also responsible for financial analysis and negotiation of rights acquisitions for Fox Sports Networks' 18 owned-and-operated regional sports networks from professional sports teams in Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League, as well as collegiate conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12 and the ACC. Prior to joining Fox in 1999, Rone held positions of increasing responsibility at Walt Disney Company, which he joined in 1990.
The Big Ten Network is dedicated to becoming the destination for Big Ten fans around the country. Showcasing a wide array of classic-to-current sports as well as original programming produced by the conference's 11 institutions, it will be available to all carriers and distributors nationwide.
For more information regarding the Big Ten Network, visit
